Robert Emeh

I woke up in my cabin bed around 6 in the morning, and ate breakfast with my TPaIDA group members shortly after. Before heading back to Iquitos, we were all going to make one last stop to the zoo.

We interacted with several types of animals at the zoo, including monkeys, a sloth, and a snake. When we visited the monkeys, two of them leaped on me, trying to grab the Chap Stick in my backpack. The monkeys were small and had great leaping ability. When it came to holding the sloth, one a few people were willing to do it. While holding to the sloth, I couldn’t help feel when I looked at its creepy face. In regards to the snake, it was the biggest thing I had ever seen. The tour guides held the snake on our shoulders and let us take a picture with it. Having a snake that big around my body had to be the coolest part of the visit.

Once we returned back to the cabin, we packed our things and boarded the boat heading back to Iquitos. The boat ride lasted two hours, therefore giving me time to reflect on this internship. This experience has been amazing and life-changing, and I found out a lot of things about myself in the process. This internship has given me hands-on experience that most students don’t receive until medical school. I have been blessed with the opportunity to assist in two amputations, the removal of a cyst, and a C-section. I learned that I can handle be up close in surgery, and that it might be my future calling. I learned that I really do have a burning desire to help others in need of medical care, and it continues to burn brighter than ever. Also, I have grown to understand that my journey towards becoming a doctor is going to be a long one, and I must go at my own pace. This internship may be coming to an end, but this is only the beginning.